252 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
formerly the capital, is the next most important station. 
It is situated in Marudu Bay, at the extreme north of 
the island, and has the maritime advantage of being 
upon the Singapore side of the difficult and dangerous 
Mallawalle Channel; but its trade is considerably less 
than that of its rival, and it is no doubt less healthy. 
The other Government stations are Gaya, Papar, Silam, 
and Mempakol. The latter is a new settlement, chiefly 
occupied in consequence of Labuan having fallen under 
the administration of the Company. Silam, Papar, and 
Gaya are small stations, the former being chiefly im¬ 
portant from its experimental gardens, and Gaya as the 
port of the chief cattle district. 
The British North Borneo Company does not itself 
engage in trade, but is merely an administrative body, 
drawing its revenues from a native poll-tax, which can 
as yet be only very partially levied ; from various 
duties, among which is that of 10 per cent upon all 
jungle produce; from opium and spirit licenses, which 
are farmed out; and from stamp duties, etc. The 
revenue, which was $82,448 in 1884, has steadily 
risen. In 1887 it was $142,687, and in 1891 
$417,028. The expenditure for the same three years 
was $242,450, $204,343, and $509,535, so that apart 
from land sales the budget still shows a considerable 
deficit. The exports—the chief of which are tobacco, 
birds’-nests, gutta, rattans, and sago—have considerably 
increased, and in 1891 reached a value of $1,238,277. 
As yet, of course, only the seaboard of the great area 
owned by the Company has been at all brought under 
European influence. The interior is an unknown land 
which, at the risk of their lives, a few bold explorers 
have here and there crossed. But it is probable that 
not many years will elapse before it has been well 
